Internal combustion engine



Oct. 4, 1932. w. NOBLE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Aug. 7, 1950 m m9 W W w w+ 4 6 l 2 M Q m a W M m M f g 2 3 a M77672 Nails ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 4, 1932 PATENT OFFICE WARREN NOBLE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGANINTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Application filed August 7, 1930. Serial No.473,541.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines of the type adaptedfor association with self-propelled vehicles of the front wheel drivetype, and more particularly my invention relates to the means fortransmitting the power from the engine to the front wheels of such avehicle. I

One of the objections to the present day type of front wheel drivevehicles is the excessive length of hood employed to cover the engineand the drivingmechanism that is associated therewith and located to thefront of the engine which requires an expensive and complicated systemof remote control for operating the clutch and transmission. There issuiiicient space in rear wheel drive vehicles at the rear of the engineunderneath the foot boards to house the clutch and transmissionconveniently located with respect to the clutch pedal and gear shiftlever. With front wheel drive vehicles this space to the rear of theengine underneath the'footboards is not utilized.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved assembly ofan engine and driving mechanism, thereby facilitating the assemblythereof with a front wheel drive vehicle with a minimum of labor andexpense and eliminating the complicated and expensive remote controldevices.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved arrangement ofthe engine and the driving mechanism associated therewith that utilizesthe available space to the best advantage for maintaining the overalllength and height of the vehicle at a minimum.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an engine and driveassembly adapted for a front wheel drive vehicle that may be housed in ahood of standard construction, by providing a drive shaft constructedand arranged to extend longitudinally of the engine above the lowermostposition of the crank pins of the engine. I

It is a further object of my invention to provide the aforesaidsimplified arrangement of engine and driving mechanism for the vehiclefront wheels while at the same time retaining the advantages of a lowcenter of gravity for the engine location and for the vehicle ingeneral. One important advan- I position.

By reason of my invention the available space in a vehicle chassis isutilized to an improved degree, the advantages of the front wheel drivebein retained without the usual disadvantages a oresaid, greater s acein a giien chassis length being availab e for the For a more detailedunderstanding of my invention reference may be had to the accompanyingdrawing which illustrates one form WhlCh my invention may assume, and inwhich:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal seetional view of my improvedinternal combustion engine adaptedfor use with a vehicle of the frontwheel drive type and taken substantially on the line 1-1 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view thereof taken substantially on theline 2-2 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view showing the valve cam shaft andassociated valve operating mechanism taken on the line 3-3 of Figure .1.V

The internal combustion engine and associated driving mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawing is especially adapted for usewitha front wheel drive vehicle. The vehicle comprises the usual chassisframe provided with suitable motor or engine supports l1.- The frontwheels 12 are supported by a front axle 13 and operatively connectedwith a driven member or wheel driving shaft 14 having suitable universaljoints 15 through which the drive is transmitted.

Any suitable type of engine may be employed within the road scope of myinvention although I prefer and have illustrated an engine A havingparallel banks of c linders 16 and a common valve cam shaft 17 locatedintermediate the two parallel banks of cylinders.

erably with a crankshaft 18 for each bank of The engine is providedpref-' or v cams1-17Aarecarried by a the'valve wcamshaft .7

connected in-theeusual mannerwith pistons not shown) operating inthe'cylin ers. O viously a single cran hsh aft'for the I two banks ofcylinders may be enzployed in 7 other types of engines, such as in erearend of each crankshaft, 'thesegears 19" bein engaged with arelatively larger gear 20 w ch is, lined or otherwise fixed tothe, rearend ofihe camshaft 1 7 The camshaft in the illustrated, embodiment us myinvem tio n isypreferably hollow fora purpose which. -laterappearQmoreapparent. Suitable 17 for. actuating: a; suitable type of enginevalve.operating mechanism 21. };A,motion I ofthe engine block;

L longitudinally therethrough,'the'rear end of the power shaft '27 beingioperatively can contrpllmg meansj is adapted to be operativeconnectedwith thejrear end iofisaid camaft; the, saidcamshaft preferablyextending longitudinally'i gthrough the engine block,- while i the -saidmotion =controlling means is located rearwardlyof the engine,.and in theillustration said motion controlling means is located to the rear of theengine blockin'the spaceordinarily employed (mlrear drive .ve- 1110185)to house the same. :The motion con-i trolling means com rises a clutchdevice '22 anda transmission evice 23 whichmaybe of standardconstruction, said devices' 'be'mg "re-' respectively operated in thei'usual -way by means of the clutch 'pedal- 24 and the gearshift level"25'. said meanscontaincd within ahousing" 26'; preferably secured-to therear :A driving intermediary comprising-a driv ing or power shaft 27'isfemployed for"transmitting the-power from thetran'smissio'n dey viceto "the wheel driviiig shaft 14., "This power shaft 27- issoarranged, inthej'illuslow'valve cam shaft'that it may extended nected with thetransmissiondevioe '23 l and the forward "end thereofh v n worm e keyedotherwise ed thereto; said worm enga a worm gear '29 car'riedFb'y*thelwhee driving shaft l ti The worm'and worm gear-or other suitabledriviiighonnections' are containedwithin ai hou'sing '30 boltedorotherwise secured to the front of the engine block, the wheeldrivingshaft 14 being thus substantiall aligned with the -front wheelcenterslere f-the hollow. camshaft is not employed as "illustrated, it"may followfmore convention'al"locations and construction, the

f wer 'shaft27 in an "instance of multiple ankengines-prefera between,

I 1,eso,aro

the longitudinal rows or banks of cylinders. In any event the powershaft 27 is positioned above the lowermost position of the crank "3E and'the horizontal plane containing theaxisof the power shaft lies abovethe horizontal plane containing the axis of the wheel drivin shaft 14.By an arran ement the le t f my nit b are a ta n .1 I maybenoted that Ihave provided avery compactassembly and have employed means fortransmitting the motive power that efficientlyutilizes all the availablespace so that 1 the engine'fandassociated driving mechanism can becontained or housed under a hood of practically standard dimensions forrear wheel drive vehicles. Furthermore, within the more specificembodiments of myinven- ,tion, bygemploying a hollow camshaft andlocatingthe powershaft 27 0f the power transm tting mechanism" withinthe hollow camshaft, I have provided-a novel and bene-v ficial compactarrangement of parts.

Althoughl have illustrated but one form of my vinventionand havedescribed in detail but a single: application thereof, itwill beapparent to those skilled in the artto which myinvention pertains'thatvarious modifica-f tions and changes may be made therein withu outdepartm from the spirit of my i.inventionorgfromt e scope of theappended claims.

1 WhatI claim as my invention s 1 1'. In a 'vehicleof the h'racterfdescribed theicombination of afchass is'and engine supportedthereby, front vehicle wheels adapted to be driven by'said engine,ipowertransmission means positioned rearwardlyof said engine,-anddriving-means extending-from'said power transmission means andoperatively connected to drive -said front vehicle wheels,

said driving means including, apower shaft crankpins-o'frthe enginecrankshaftx positioned above the axis of rotation of the 2.V Incombination with an internal com-' bustion engine, a hollow'cam'shaftfor actuating the engine valves, a drive shaft extend-.'ingl-longitudinally within said camshaft,

mated bcdimena 'th r pect to" the h l-ii ee for driving t camshaft frome n-' gine crankshaft, means vfor.driving:said drive 'shaftlgatj oneend;thereof fr,om the engine crankshaft, and means for utilizingthepowerl from, m id, v -drive shaft. at the other" end thereof.- 1 Ibustionengineya hollow camshaft for actuatingthe-engine valves, a,drive. shaft extending longitudinally, within. said ica'mshaft,;meansfor .drivingthecamshaft from the engine thereof from-the enginecrankshaft through said transmission, and means forutilizing thepower-from sa'id drive shaft atthe'other end thereof.:* f 1 e T, 4."combination" with an internal, co

.bustion engine, a hollow camshaft for acbua't are combination withmints- 11 56mill-0 ing the engine valves, a drive shaft extendinglongitudinally within said camshaft, means for driving the camshaft fromthe en 'ne crankshaft, means for driving said rive shaft at one endthereof from the engine crankshaft, a vehicle having front drivingwheels and carrying said engine, and means for utilizing the power fromsaid drive shaft for driving said front wheels.

5. In a combination with an internal combustion engine, a hollowcamshaft for actuating the engine valves, a drive shaft extendinglongitudinally within said camshaft, means for driving the camshaft fromthe engine crankshaft, a change speed transmission, means for drivingsaid drive shaft at one end thereof from the engine. crankshaft throughsaid transmission, a vehicle having front driving wheels and carryingsaid engine, and means for utilizing the power from said drive shaft fordriving said front wheels.

6. In a vehicle of the character described the combination of a chassisand engine supported thereby, front vehicle wheels adapted to be drivenby said engine, power transmission means positioned rearwardly of saidengine, and driving means extending from said 1 power transmission meansand operatively connected to drive said front vehicle wheels, saiddriving means including a power shaft positioned above the axis ofrotation of the crank pins of the engine crankshaft, and means drivingsaid power transmission means from the engine crankshaft at the rearthereof.

7. In a vehicle of the character described the combination of a chassisand engine supported thereby, front vehicle wheels adapted to be drivenby said engine, power transmission meanspositioned rearwardly of saidengine, and driving means extending from said power transmission meansand operatively connected to drive said front vehicle wheels, saiddriving means including positioned substantially longitudinallycentrally of the engine and above the axis of rlptgion of the crankpinsof the engine cranks a 8. In a vehicle of the character describedthe-combination of a chassis and engine sup ported thereby, frontvehicle wheels adapted to be driven by said engine, power transmissionmeans positioned rearwardly of said engine, and driving means extendingfrom said power transmission means and o eratively connected to drivesaid front vehic e wheels,

said driving means includin a power shaft positioned above the axis 0rotation of the crank pins of the engine crankshaft, said onginecomprising a pair of cylinder banks and said power shaft extendingbetween said banks.

9. In a vehicle of the character described the. combination of a chassisand engine sup-j a power shaft ported thereby, front vehicle wheelsadapted to be driven by said engine, power transmission means positionedrearwardly of said engine, and driving means extending from said powertransmission means and operatively connected to drive said front vehiclewheels, said driving means including a power shaft positioned above theaxis of rotation of the crank pins of the engine crankshaft, said powertransmission means including a clutch and a change speed transmission.

10. In a vehicle of the character described the combination of a chassisand engine supported thereby, front vehicle wheels adapted to be drivenby said engine, power transmission means positioned rearwardly of saidengine, and driving means extending from said power transmission meansand operatively connected to drive said front vehicle wheels, saiddriving means-including a power shaft positioned above the axis ofrotation of the crank pins of the engine crankshaft and also including awheel driving shaft geared with the power shaft.

11. In a vehicle of the character described the combination of a chassisand engine supported thereby,

front vehicle wheels adapted to be driven by said engine, powertransmiss on means positioned rearwardly of said engine, and drivingmeans extending from said power transmission means and operativelyconnected to drive said front vehicle wheels, said driving meansincluding a power shaft positioned above the lowermost position of crankpins of the engine crankshaft, said engine comprising a pair of cylinderbanks and said power shaft extending between said banks, each of saidcylinder banks including a crankshaft, said engine having a camshaftcommon to both of said cylinder banks, and said crankshafts driving saidcamshaft.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. WARREN NOBLE.

